Speaking at the official handing over ceremony of the joint border
post, President Buhari described the project, aimed at enhancing the
free movement of persons and goods in the region, as “a symbol of
integration that brings together the peoples of Nigeria and Benin.”
”Indeed, the Seme-Krake joint border is one of the busiest boundary lines not only in West Africa but the whole continent, daily recording huge movement of persons, goods and services.
”Permit me therefore to congratulate my brother, President Patrice
Talon of the Republic of Benin on the successful completion of this
magnificent project.
”As we all know, Nigeria and Benin share many things in common.
Hence, the establishment of the Joint Border Post will certainly promote
our brotherliness and emphasize our common interest, ” he said.
On the benefits of the joint border post, which sits on 17 hectares
of land, the President, in a statement by the Special Adviser on Media
and publicity, Femi Adesina, noted that it would enhance trade
facilitation by combining border clearance activities in a single
location, increase cooperation and coordination of controls, in addition
to fostering data and intelligence sharing between Nigeria and Benin
Republic.
”The Border Post is strategically important and lies on the
Lagos-Cotonou-Lome-Accra-Abidjan corridor, which accounts for about 70%
of the entire transit traffic in the sub-region.
”The corridor is also part of the Trans-African Highway network.
This Joint Border Post with modern enabling facilities is a flagship
project in ECOWAS and a good example of regional public assets with a
spill-over range of benefits,’’ he said.
He also expressed optimism that the facilities at the border post
will improve the working conditions of border officials and make them
more efficient and effective in carrying out their duties.
He, therefore, urged border officials of both countries to ensure
that their operations are carried out within the guiding principles of
ECOWAS.
”I am aware that a Joint Committee with membership from Nigeria and
Benin has been established for the coordination and management of this
facility. I would like to call on the members of the committee to note
the complex task ahead of them.
”The committee must ensure that border officials are sensitized on
the mode of operation of the Joint Border Post concept which is a big
departure from the traditional mode of operation. I call on the ECOWAS
Commission to continue to provide the needed support to this Committee,
”he said.
Appreciating the financial commitment of the European Union
Commission to the project and the contributions of the ECOWAS Commission
towards its successful completion, President Buhari noted that
inadequate transport infrastructure and inefficient services were some
of the major bottlenecks to the attainment of socio-economic development
and integration in the region.
”ECOWAS is a region where ports, roads, railways and airports still
remain a constraint despite significant recent progress made.
”Nigeria has embarked on major investment programmes covering these
sectors to improve the competitiveness of our economies and accelerate
growth. We are therefore delighted to welcome such initiatives aimed at
boosting the economic integration of our member States in West
Africa,’’ he said.
In his capacity as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads
of State and Government, President Buhari also thanked the EU for
supporting two other joint borders at Malanville (between Benin/Niger)
and Noepe-Akanu (between Ghana/Togo).
No comments:
Post a Comment